5 lessons learned from monster storms

22 February 2018, Emergencies

What we do when a storm hits

While the devastation caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria continues to emerge, our emergency response teams are on the ground providing essential assistance in the worst-hit regions. Director of Save the Children’s Emergency Health Unit, Unni Krishnan, shares his insights from similar catastrophes.

As a humanitarian worker and doctor, my work involves responding to the catastrophic impacts these monsters have on children and vulnerable communities.

I lead the Emergency Health Unit (EHU) in the Asia-Pacific region – our EHU takes world class teams of nurses and doctors to the heart of a disaster in its critical first stages.

Big storms like Irma have taken me to Haiti, Dominican Republic and several countries in Asia. I have also witnessed the impact of deadly storms in Cuba and New Orleans, following Hurricane Katrina.

Today, while monitoring the impacts of Irma and Maria, a few simple lessons from the past come to my mind.

Lesson 1: Deadly storms have a bias against children

Storms often leave a lasting impact on young minds. Relief efforts should prioritise children – their needs and their emotional wellbeing.

But, at the same time, nobody should underestimate the grit of children in such settings.

Last year in Haiti, I met seven-year-old Daphne, an inspiring young girl who was pulling rain-smudged schoolbooks from the rubble. Her school had been destroyed by the storm but she told me she wanted to go back because she had aspirations and dreams to become a doctor.

Activities that help children cope better and recover quicker, such as education, should always be part of relief work – because they can help reduce the long-term impact on children’s lives.

Lesson 2: Health is one of the first casualties in big disasters

Health centres and services get disrupted. Not only are physical structures damaged, but the lives of workers who staff health facilities are also thrown into turmoil. This reduces their ability to respond to the needs of surrounding communities.

And when disasters and weak health systems meet, diseases such as cholera thrive. This was demonstrated during Hurricane Matthew.

Timely action, along with a combination of public health measures and mass communication, can stop disease outbreaks in their tracks.

Lesson 3: Stay as local as possible

Last year in Haiti, my team was made up of Haitian nurses and doctors, and experts from other parts of the world.

The knowledge our Haitian colleagues had about local communities, terrain, language (Creole) and cultural sensitivities helped generate momentum and make our response more people-friendly and appropriate.

While deploying experienced people is often necessary, conscious efforts are needed to ensure that experts from elsewhere complement – and not replace – local efforts. Collaboration is key.

Lesson 4: Be one step ahead of the storm

The best way to reduce the impact of a storm is being one step ahead of it.

A big storm can shut down airports and halt transportation, so it makes sense to get the right people on the ground before storms make landfall. Failing to plan is planning to fail – it’s not rocket science.

Technically, this is often known as a "no-regrets approach" – ie it’s better to err on the side of over-resourcing the critical functions, rather than risk failure by under-resourcing. Human lives are at stake in such settings and inaction, slow action or delayed action can cost lives.

Lesson 5: Stop all storms

The best way to beat a hurricane is to stop it from happening.

While the priority for the next weeks and months should be to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance, addressing climate change is a key step in reducing the frequency – and ferocity – of storms in the future.

Investing in disaster risk reduction and bolstering the resilience of communities are key to breaking the cycle of disasters and the miseries they bring.